I promised there would be some silly questions!! Left hand technique

[janmaat]

Just reading this thread, funny how "some stupid questions" lead to such informing content. It might be worth a sticky!

[jakenewmanbass]

I agree janmaat, I always say there is no such thing as a 'stupid question' a person cannot be unduly criticised for information they do not possess, unless they are unduly resistant to taking stuff on board.
I think the British mindset can be counter productive in certain aspects in this regard as we seem to have a national tendency to ridicule people that don't know stuff. Held in balance that view does take account of the many positives the British mindset does possess.

[Clarky]

After a brief try out, I find Rabbath very simple for linear (ie, up or down) lines but if you are string crossing back and forth I end up in a right pickle, as my old Grandad would say

[fatback]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326025411' post='1491133']
After a brief try out, I find Rabbath very simple for linear (ie, up or down) lines but if you are string crossing back and forth I end up in a right pickle, as my old Grandad would say
[/quote]

Interesting. Can't think why it should be different though.

I was watching Rabath's Art of the Bow the other night and he makes a point about fingering I wasn't aware of before. Instead of pressing down with all fingers equally to 'fret' a note, he advocates using the pivot so that the relevant finger(s) come down in an arc, with a twist of the wrist towards or away from you. Talking about bowing he says it vastly improves the tone because of the power concentrated on the string that way. I tried it with pizz and it seems to improve my tone there too - eliminates the occasional 'fuzziness' that's so frustrating. It's a very decisive way to play too, if that's not an odd way to put it.

That man is is an inexhausitible source of insights, no doubt about it. I mean to get his 'Art of the left hand' but it's very pricey, so i keep putting it off. I really should just go for it.

[Hector]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1326054560' post='1491728']
Interesting. Can't think why it should be different though.

I was watching Rabath's Art of the Bow the other night and he makes a point about fingering I wasn't aware of before. Instead of pressing down with all fingers equally to 'fret' a note, he advocates using the pivot so that the relevant finger(s) come down in an arc, with a twist of the wrist towards or away from you. Talking about bowing he says it vastly improves the tone because of the power concentrated on the string that way. I tried it with pizz and it seems to improve my tone there too - eliminates the occasional 'fuzziness' that's so frustrating. It's a very decisive way to play too, if that's not an odd way to put it.

That man is is an inexhausitible source of insights, no doubt about it. I mean to get his 'Art of the left hand' but it's very pricey, so i keep putting it off. I really should just go for it.
[/quote]

You mean twisting your wrist towards the nut for first finger, and towards the bridge for second finger?

You're right he is a wealth of knowledge. And I find it's staggered in it's presentation as well: every so often I'll decipher his accent in another section, and it reveals a further great insight I'd previously missed!

[Clarky]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1326054560' post='1491728']
Interesting. Can't think why it should be different though.
[/quote]
Its part cos I'm still a bit rubbish on DB and part cos I'm used to 'on the fly' fingering! But seriously, what fingering do you use for playing say G sharp, A, F, E sharp on the G/D strings - is that all sliding your first/fore finger up and down the board or does your second/middle finger come into play at any point - its the semi-tone shifts I am not sure about

Edited January 8, 2012 by Clarky

[fatback]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326060915' post='1491860']
Its part cos I'm still a bit rubbish on DB and part cos I'm used to 'on the fly' fingering! But seriously, what fingering do you use for playing say G sharp, A, F, E sharp on the G/D strings - is that all sliding your first/fore finger up and down the board or does your second/middle finger come into play at any point - its the semi-tone shifts I am not sure about
[/quote]

I kind of cheat, in that I've added a thumb position at F# on the E string. I can't manage the bottom end pivots with the lowest thumb position at G on the E string. So with thumb on F# (on E string), I'd use first finger for the G sharp, second for the A, third with fourth for the F and second for the E.

I don't use three on its own apart from way up the neck, and I always support four with three. One of the hardest things to remember about the Rabbath method, i found, apart from being accurate with the thumb positions, is pivoting with 4 always paired with and supported by three. That's not the same as the bass guitar 1234 fingering at all. So of the four possible notes reachable with a pivot, say G#, A, A#, B, the two higher ones are played with the same pair of fingers, three and four together. This way, i get no problems with third finger strain at all and very few probs with the little finger (none if I remember to support all the time)

As you well know, Clarky, i'm only a beginner at this and I may have the wrong end of lots of sticks, so please take anything I say with a large pinch of etc. :0

Edited January 9, 2012 by fatback

[Owen]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326060915' post='1491860']
Its part cos I'm still a bit rubbish on DB and part cos I'm used to 'on the fly' fingering! But seriously, what fingering do you use for playing say G sharp, A, F, E sharp on the G/D strings - is that all sliding your first/fore finger up and down the board or does your second/middle finger come into play at any point - its the semi-tone shifts I am not sure about
[/quote]

1 on G#, 2 on A, 3 on F and 2 on E. 1 finger per "fret". Job done.

[Clarky]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1326114392' post='1492409']
1 on G#, 2 on A, 3 on F and 2 on E. 1 finger per "fret". Job done.
[/quote]
Well, yes I'd agree with that. But if you then played a G major scale per the video do you suddenly shift to using finger 1 on the A? It has the potential to confuse me!

[risingson]

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1326025034' post='1491120']
I agree janmaat, I always say there is no such thing as a 'stupid question' a person cannot be unduly criticised for information they do not possess, unless they are unduly resistant to taking stuff on board.
I think the British mindset can be counter productive in certain aspects in this regard as we seem to have a national tendency to ridicule people that don't know stuff. Held in balance that view does take account of the many positives the British mindset does possess.
[/quote]

I agree completely, and the thread has been an eye-opener into a world that I've only ever briefly touched upon. I regret now not taking lessons with Steve Berry whilst I had the chance at Uni as he was a constant inspiration and a wonderful player.

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1326136950' post='1492824']
I agree completely, and the thread has been an eye-opener into a world that I've only ever briefly touched upon. I regret now not taking lessons with Steve Berry whilst I had the chance at Uni as he was a constant inspiration and a wonderful player.
[/quote]
Steve is a lovely guy, and a renowned inspirational educator. He also happens to be a friend

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326114652' post='1492415']
Well, yes I'd agree with that. But if you then played a G major scale per the video do you suddenly shift to using finger 1 on the A? It has the potential to confuse me!
[/quote]

Yeah I would play your first pattern with 1-2-4 and then shift up to still use 1-2-4 for the Gmaj scale (and down again to continue it down to the A and E strings).

I think it's a good system for beginners, can't comment on how it works out for advanced players, but it certainly helps give you confidence with intonation and avoids any heroics with the left hand. Can be a bit of a pain if you're playing a triad though, depending on the pattern. But it's not like bass players are stuck playing triads often eh?

[deaver]

I had a quick go at this Rabbath lark earlier today and I think something might have clicked - lessons will still have to wait I'm afraid (time and money). Fairly sure I heard an improvement in intonation, I'll report back in a month or so

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='deaver' timestamp='1326147266' post='1493068']
I had a quick go at this Rabbath lark earlier today and I think something might have clicked - lessons will still have to wait I'm afraid (time and money). Fairly sure I heard an improvement in intonation, I'll report back in a month or so
[/quote]
Have you had any lessons Deaver? even one would give you a huge amount to work on and to have a close up inspection/appraisal of your technique is IMO invaluable.

[deaver]

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1326185485' post='1493333']
Have you had any lessons Deaver? even one would give you a huge amount to work on and to have a close up inspection/appraisal of your technique is IMO invaluable.
[/quote]

I haven't as yet, I understand what you're saying but it is, to use a dread phrase, a question of priorities at the moment. Realistically it won't be until the summer at the earliest.

[bassvid75]

no one for Ludwing Streicher method?
i did and very helpful

[fatback]

[quote name='bassvid75' timestamp='1326989785' post='1504823']
no one for Ludwing Streicher method?
i did and very helpful
[/quote]

Is there any good web source for his method?

Always interested in anything that isn't Simandl.

[bassvid75]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1326995136' post='1504969']
Is there any good web source for his method?

Always interested in anything that isn't Simandl.
[/quote]

pm sent

[bassvid75]

Ludwig Streicher on this video.
the "show" starts at 4.00min.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLhgl-XkE4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLhgl-XkE4[/url]